The Freedom Fund is excited to welcome Dr. Xanthe Scharff as our new Managing Director of External Relations and Editor-at-Large
Two-time nonprofit founder and media executive Dr. Xanthe Scharff joins the Freedom Fund on 3rd February 2025, as Managing Director of External Relations and Editor-at-Large. She will lead development and communications efforts and serve as an ambassador for the organisation in the United States.
Scharff joins the Fund as it embarks on an ambitious new strategic plan. She will partner with CEO Nick Grono to raise funds and amplify the stories of partners in Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Ethiopia.
I’m delighted to welcome Xanthe – a renowned leader, fundraiser, and journalist – to lead our external affairs efforts and outreach in the United States. As an award-winning founder and CEO, and a lifelong champion of the leaders on the frontlines of change, she brings remarkable drive and experience to our global efforts. We are currently funding and partnering with over 150 frontline organisations, and with Xanthe’s leadership, we will grow this number, expand to new countries, and develop even more robust programs to share knowledge and promote collaboration.
~ Nick Grono, CEO of The Freedom Fund
For 25 years, Scharff has worked to advance human rights, build collective power, and generate resources to amplify the work and stories of frontline leaders. She raised over $35M for these efforts, reached tens of millions with powerful storytelling, and helped spark policy changes to improve the lives of hundreds of millions of women and children. She is the founder of Advancing Girls’ Education in Africa and cofounder of The Fuller Project, the global newsroom dedicated to reporting about women to catalyse positive change.
The Freedom Fund centres the wisdom of survivors and community leaders and supports them as they organise and build power to break the bonds of slavery in their midst. I’m so proud to serve our 150+ partners and to help propel Freedom Fund’s fundraising to get more money and resources to the ground.
~ Xanthe Scharff, Managing Director of External Relations at The Freedom Fund
Scharff was preceded by Amy Rahe, who was MD for External Relations for four years before being named the Executive Director of the Women’s Economic Development NETWORK, an initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Connect with Xanthe on LinkedIn or by email.
About the Freedom Fund
The Freedom Fund is a global collaborative fund dedicated to ending modern slavery and human trafficking by supporting frontline actors in countries where modern slavery is highly prevalent. The Freedom Fund elevates and shifts power to the frontlines, fosters movements for change and collaboration, and invests in research and strategic initiatives. The Freedom Fund raises capital on a large scale and makes transformative grants to over 150 community-based organisations working to end trafficking, forced labour, and all forms of modern slavery.